EP #38: Recruiting the C-Suite for Corporate Law Firms with Jennifer Johnson of Calibrate
Release Date: 06/25/2024
EP #61: Changing Perceptions in a Vanilla Market: Mischon de Reya LLP’s Branding Story with Elliot Moss
The Future Is Bright Podcast
Elliot Moss didn’t join a law firm to keep things the same. As Partner and Chief Brand Officer at Mishcon de Reya LLP, he brought a deep understanding of branding into a profession that often dismisses it, and changed how one of the UK’s top firms thinks about growth and perception. He shares how clarity, consistency, and emotional intelligence turned Mishcon from a £45 million practice into a £380 million brand defined by truth and differentiation, not slogans. Clients, he says, may buy expertise, but they stay because of trust and how a firm makes them feel. He talks candidly...
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EP #60: Future-Proofing Your Law Firm: An Honest Conversation about Strategy and Growth with Chris Batz
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Many firms say they have a Law Firm Strategy, but few actually do. In this episode, Chris Batz breaks down what true strategy looks like inside corporate law firms and why clarity must come before growth. He introduces his framework for effective law firm strategy, the “three P’s”: positioning, perception, and competition. He explains how each reveals the gap between where a firm stands today and where it aims to be. From understanding client perception to benchmarking against competitors, he outlines how to replace internal optimism with market reality and strategic focus. Chris...
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EP #59: Sir Nigel Knowles: Shaping the Future of Biglaw
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Law firms everywhere are debating private equity. Sir Nigel Knowles has already lived the full arc, from global expansion to IPO to take-private. Joining hosts Chris Batz and Howard Rosenberg, the former global managing partner of DLA Piper and former CEO of DWF unpacks a career built on bold growth and tough calls. He shares how a 90-person practice in Sheffield became DLA Piper through disciplined strategy, relentless execution, and a shift from territorial “country barons” to one global firm. He walks through the three-way merger that hit at exactly the right moment, the lessons he...
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EP #58: Law Firms, PE, and MSOs: A Legal Ethics Conversation with Lucian Pera
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Private equity is circling the legal industry, and Lucian Pera is helping make sense of what that means for MSO law firms and beyond. Joining Chris Batz and Howard Rosenberg, Lucian breaks down how management services organizations (MSOs) and alternative business structures (ABSs) are giving outside investors new ways to participate in the economics of law - without running afoul of ethics rules like ABA Rule 5.4. Lucian makes it clear that these models are tools, not shortcuts. For some firms, an MSO structure may unlock the capital needed for technology, acquisitions, or ambitious...
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EP #57: Feeling the Squeeze: How Mid-Sized Law Firms Adapt and Compete
The Future Is Bright Podcast
Mid-sized law firms are facing pressure from every direction. Associates are poached with six-figure pay bumps, partners are stretched thin between billing and management, and specialty practices vanish without succession plans. At the same time, clients expect broader reach and deeper benches than many firms can deliver. In this episode, host Chris Batz shares what he’s hearing directly from managing partners and executive committee members across the country. He outlines the squeeze mid-sized firms are feeling - lagging organic growth, talent retention challenges, leadership burnout - and...
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EP #56: Leading from Heart: Jami Wintz McKeon on Loving the Firm, the People, and the Work
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Jami Wintz McKeon, Chair of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, joins Chris Batz and Howard Rosenberg to share her journey from associate to leading one of the world’s largest law firms. She reflects on the moments that shaped her path, including overseeing major integrations, heading the litigation practice, and ultimately stepping into the role of chair. Jami talks about the personal side of leadership, carrying both the joys and hardships of colleagues, staying connected across a global partnership, and fostering a culture where collaboration comes before credit. She also discusses...
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EP #55: The Future of Nixon Peabody LLP: Culture, Talent, and Growth with Stephen Zubiago
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Stephen Zubiago, CEO and Managing Partner of Nixon Peabody LLP, joins hosts Chris Batz and Howard Rosenberg to share what it takes to lead an AmLaw 100 firm through growth, competition, and change. He talks about how Nixon Peabody LLP aligns talent strategy with client needs, develops attorneys at every level, and builds a culture where collaboration and entrepreneurial drive matter as much as expertise. Their discussion explores the firm’s focus on industries like financial services, real estate and affordable housing, healthcare, and technology, and why being selective about expansion is...
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EP #54: The Life of David Lat | Attorney, Writer, Speaker & Family Man
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David Lat spent years climbing the legal ladder, clerking, working at Wachtell, joining the DOJ, before realizing that the most meaningful part of his career wasn’t going to happen in a courtroom. Joining Chris Batz and Howard Rosenberg, David talks through the decisions that shaped his path, from writing a cheeky anonymous blog about federal judges to launching “Above the Law” and building one of the most influential voices in legal media. He reflects on the pressure to follow prestige, the pull of creative work, and the unexpected ways his early writing opened doors he didn’t even...
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EP #53: Remaining Curious and the Professional Services Executive Journey, with Rebecca Goodman-Stephens, CEO of Moses Singer
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Titles don’t build trust, people do. And according to Rebecca Goodman-Stephens, that’s where real leadership begins. Rebecca is the CEO of Moses Singer, a New York law firm, but her story starts far from the legal world. She grew up across the UK, Switzerland, and France, studied clinical psychology, and built her career in consulting and public accounting before stepping into her current role. Along the way, she kept coming back to the same core skill: understanding people. As she joins hosts Chris Batz and Howard Rosenberg, Rebecca shares how her background shaped her leadership style,...
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EP #52: Succession Planning and A Seamless Transition with Yakub Hazzard Chair of MSK
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Succession only looks seamless from the outside. Yakub Hazzard shares what it really took to step into the chair role at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, and why leadership transitions require more than just good timing. How do you plan for change without disrupting what already works? Yakub walks through the nearly two-year succession planning process that prepared him to take over as chair, from building internal alignment to choosing the right leadership partner. He shares how the firm prioritized culture over convenience, and why that made all the difference. Yakub also...
info_outlineAs the legal profession evolves, the importance of C-suite executives in law firms is rising. Jennifer Johnson, CEO of Calibrate, shares her vision for a future where these executives are equal to managing partners and report to a board.
Calibrate is a management consulting and executive search firm that places top talent in essential C-suite roles within corporate law firms, freeing lawyers to focus on their practice. Jennifer sees these “revenue enablers” as vital for providing the business expertise needed to navigate the industry’s significant changes and challenges.
In this episode of The Future is Bright, Jennifer talks with host Chris Batz about the current state of leadership in the law firm industry, the recruiting process and more. She also shared a personal story of triumph sure to encourage anyone faced with life challenges.
Tune in to hear her inspiring story and several insights for Law Firm executives!
Quotes
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“The candidates we present to our clients understand a law firm's business and not just their subject matter expertise. They know how to apply that and then work across the business. And, that’s been a breath of fresh air for a lot of law firm leaders.” (4:18 | Jennifer Johnson)
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“They really do want to practice law, the lawyers, for the most part, that’s what they want to do. So, bringing in these business professionals to help them run the business with them and for them is the smartest thing any of them could do. The day of running law firms by committee and total consensus—I’m not sure you can do that anymore and survive at the rate and pace of change that’s happening.” (11:32 | Jennifer Johnson)
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“Just because somebody is really good at making rain, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to be the best leader.” (16:15 | Jennifer Johnson)
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“At the end of the day, your lawyers are your salesforce. You’ve got a salesforce that are not trained to be salespeople.” (19:58 | Jennifer Johnson)
Links
Connect with Jennifer Johnson:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferjohnsoncalibrate/
Website - https://calibrate-strategies.com/about-calibrate/calibrate-team/jennifer-johnson/
Connect with Chris Batz:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/columbus-street/
Columbus Street: https://www.columbus-street.com/
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